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Bakery Sisters #2
Sweet Spot
If only her life was more sinful than sweet...
"Responsibility" should be Nicole Keyes's middle name. After all, not many people would sacrifice their lives to run the family bakery and raise a younger sibling. But with Nicole's twin sister now blissfully married and her younger sis turning out more femme fatale than girl-next-door, super reliable Nicole is getting sick of putting everyone else's needs first.
Enter Hawk. The deliciously sexy former NFL player offers Nicole a taste of the freedom she craves. Hawk may know the way, blindfolded, to her sweet spot, but Nicole's not about to let him get close enough to break her heart. Of course, she might not have a choice in the matter if Hawk's past keeps getting in the way of their present....
"Responsibility" should be Nicole Keyes's middle name. After all, not many people would sacrifice their lives to run the family bakery and raise a younger sibling. But with Nicole's twin sister now blissfully married and her younger sis turning out more femme fatale than girl-next-door, super reliable Nicole is getting sick of putting everyone else's needs first.
Enter Hawk. The deliciously sexy former NFL player offers Nicole a taste of the freedom she craves. Hawk may know the way, blindfolded, to her sweet spot, but Nicole's not about to let him get close enough to break her heart. Of course, she might not have a choice in the matter if Hawk's past keeps getting in the way of their present....
370 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
948 people are currently reading
2332 people want to read
About the author
Susan Mallery
862 books15.4k followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
February 23, 2019
After coming across as a spoiled, vengeful shrew in the last book I began this one not sure how the heroine would redeem herself. But she does. In this one she comes across as a strong woman who is working hard to improve her outlook on the world. This brilliant author matches her up with a carefree football coach who seems to live a golden life. Except its more of an oblivious life. He lives in a shrine to his dead wife and fills their impressionable daughter’s head with fairy tales about the early days of their marriage.
The hero and the heroine find ways to battle their demons so they can reach their happily ever after.
The hero and the heroine find ways to battle their demons so they can reach their happily ever after.
January 12, 2020
2019’un son kitaplarından. Anca girebiliyorum yorumunu. Ben çok sevdim ya. Nicole en başta sinirimi bozuyordu ama sevdim yine de. Susan Mallery kalemini ayrı sevdim.
May 14, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release: August 2008
How does Susan Mallery do it? Her stories interest me, suck me in, make me think, spit me out smiling, and then leave me hungry for the next! The heroine of “Sweet Spot”, Nicole, was introduced in the first book of this series, “Sweet Talk”. I really didn’t like Nicole! She was snarky, bad-tempered, and whiny. I just couldn’t see how even Susan Mallery could make her likable. Well, darn it, she did it. As I read Nicole’s story, I began to understand the whys and hows of her behavior. And, even though there were still times I wanted to kick her into next week, she turned out to be someone I’d really love to have as a friend.
Nicole has some pretty good reasons to be unhappy. She was forced to accept too much responsibility too early in her life. Her future in the family business was mapped out for her almost from the cradle. She became the mother figure for her younger sister and pretty much raised her through rebellions and tantrums. She’s always been the responsible one. In the last year, she’s had two surgeries and caught her younger sister in bed with her soon-to-be-ex-husband. She’s tired of the pitying looks and being responsible. So she cooks up a plan with one of her gorgeous, sexy customers. She will be his strings-free sex kitten and he’ll play her adoring, infatuated boyfriend. All she has to do is keep her heart behind those tall, hard walls and she’ll be fine. Right?
Hawk’s life is on cruise control. He’s young, well off, and charming…and he knows it! He’s also a widower with a 17-year-old daughter, a job he loves, and women throw themselves at him all the time. He doesn’t need a relationship. He loved his wife and dotes on his daughter. His job as a high school coach keeps him in shape, close to his daughter, and working with the game he loves. And then…he meets a woman he can’t charm. She somehow gets under his skin, but he knows if he can just ‘have her’ a few times, life will go back to normal. Right?
Whew. Do these two need some counseling or what? They don’t sound likable, do they? Umm hmm, just keep reading. The sexual tension between these two is sizzling and non-stop. But as they learn more about each other and become more involved in each other’s lives, something strange happens. They actually like each other…even without sex! There are some fairly intense situations in this book, dealing with single-parent and teen pregnancies. I appreciated the fact that Ms. Mallery didn’t try to tie it all up with a pretty bow and pretend that these situations will always end happily. Because they don’t and won’t. However, she also shows that regardless of the situation, honesty and communication are the keys to a successful relationship…EVERY time.
I like this author. I liked this book. It ended way too soon for me and the short glimpse provided of the next book in this series left me hanging. If you enjoy stories that pull at your emotions, don’t miss “Sweet Spot” by Susan Mallery.
How does Susan Mallery do it? Her stories interest me, suck me in, make me think, spit me out smiling, and then leave me hungry for the next! The heroine of “Sweet Spot”, Nicole, was introduced in the first book of this series, “Sweet Talk”. I really didn’t like Nicole! She was snarky, bad-tempered, and whiny. I just couldn’t see how even Susan Mallery could make her likable. Well, darn it, she did it. As I read Nicole’s story, I began to understand the whys and hows of her behavior. And, even though there were still times I wanted to kick her into next week, she turned out to be someone I’d really love to have as a friend.
Nicole has some pretty good reasons to be unhappy. She was forced to accept too much responsibility too early in her life. Her future in the family business was mapped out for her almost from the cradle. She became the mother figure for her younger sister and pretty much raised her through rebellions and tantrums. She’s always been the responsible one. In the last year, she’s had two surgeries and caught her younger sister in bed with her soon-to-be-ex-husband. She’s tired of the pitying looks and being responsible. So she cooks up a plan with one of her gorgeous, sexy customers. She will be his strings-free sex kitten and he’ll play her adoring, infatuated boyfriend. All she has to do is keep her heart behind those tall, hard walls and she’ll be fine. Right?
Hawk’s life is on cruise control. He’s young, well off, and charming…and he knows it! He’s also a widower with a 17-year-old daughter, a job he loves, and women throw themselves at him all the time. He doesn’t need a relationship. He loved his wife and dotes on his daughter. His job as a high school coach keeps him in shape, close to his daughter, and working with the game he loves. And then…he meets a woman he can’t charm. She somehow gets under his skin, but he knows if he can just ‘have her’ a few times, life will go back to normal. Right?
Whew. Do these two need some counseling or what? They don’t sound likable, do they? Umm hmm, just keep reading. The sexual tension between these two is sizzling and non-stop. But as they learn more about each other and become more involved in each other’s lives, something strange happens. They actually like each other…even without sex! There are some fairly intense situations in this book, dealing with single-parent and teen pregnancies. I appreciated the fact that Ms. Mallery didn’t try to tie it all up with a pretty bow and pretend that these situations will always end happily. Because they don’t and won’t. However, she also shows that regardless of the situation, honesty and communication are the keys to a successful relationship…EVERY time.
I like this author. I liked this book. It ended way too soon for me and the short glimpse provided of the next book in this series left me hanging. If you enjoy stories that pull at your emotions, don’t miss “Sweet Spot” by Susan Mallery.
October 17, 2017
This is second in a series and there's a lot of emotional and relationship baggage left over from that one. So I definitely recommend reading them in order.
I kind of knew what I was in for coming into this story. I didn't like Nicole in the first book, though she mellowed some near the end. This book continues her mellowing and that's to the good. Also, there are some stand-out secondary characters, headed up by Raoul. That kid was fantastic and Nicole coming to care for him was an outstanding made-family story arc that drew me in.
Unfortunately, Hawk was kind of a waste from start to finish. I normally like the strong, competent heroes, but Hawk just never could quite get there. His ego got in the way over and over again. And his rage storms, while never violent, were still too much and too broad and with too much (emotional) collateral damage. He hurt people he "cares" about too easily and too often and more often than not that was Nicole.
Also, this is apparently the series for one of my least favorite pet peeves, the
So a three-star read, but enjoyable enough not to tempt me lower. I laughed out loud once or twice because Nicole talking straight was uncomfortable as a slip-n-slide at a wedding reception but a lot of fun if it's not your wedding...
A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes which puts this firmly in the middle of my steam tolerance. They were a little over-the-top, frankly, and Hawk's ego wasn't working for him the way he thought it was. So that's a bit awkward.
I kind of knew what I was in for coming into this story. I didn't like Nicole in the first book, though she mellowed some near the end. This book continues her mellowing and that's to the good. Also, there are some stand-out secondary characters, headed up by Raoul. That kid was fantastic and Nicole coming to care for him was an outstanding made-family story arc that drew me in.
Unfortunately, Hawk was kind of a waste from start to finish. I normally like the strong, competent heroes, but Hawk just never could quite get there. His ego got in the way over and over again. And his rage storms, while never violent, were still too much and too broad and with too much (emotional) collateral damage. He hurt people he "cares" about too easily and too often and more often than not that was Nicole.
Also, this is apparently the series for one of my least favorite pet peeves, the
So a three-star read, but enjoyable enough not to tempt me lower. I laughed out loud once or twice because Nicole talking straight was uncomfortable as a slip-n-slide at a wedding reception but a lot of fun if it's not your wedding...
A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes which puts this firmly in the middle of my steam tolerance. They were a little over-the-top, frankly, and Hawk's ego wasn't working for him the way he thought it was. So that's a bit awkward.
August 13, 2020
In short, Sweet Spot can henceforth be known as the book where everyone (including the dog) gets pregnant. I swear Susan Mallery’s characters just don’t do birth control. It’s insane, not to mention unrealistic, how much pregnancy is happening in one family. I can’t handle it. Sweet Talk was questionable. This is just plain bad.
What we have here is a failure to communicate. On every level. Mostly Hawk, our stupidly-named male lead, is our offender, but everyone else is guilty. Basically, everybody in Sweet Spot has the maturity level of a toddler (except maybe Raoul, the teenage side-character). I just could not with this characters. Especially Hawk. Somebody please go kill Hawk.
Okay, so. The book’s protagonist is Nicole, twin sister to Claire. Nicole raised her baby sister and took over the family bakery at a young age. She also is in the midst of divorcing her husband, who cheated on her with said baby sister. Enter Hawk, former NFL player who’s pushy, immature, and overconfident, but apparently sexy as all get out, so that excuses everything. His biggest problem is that he’s convinced he’s always right, and refuses to hear otherwise. He’s spoiled his daughter and set up a shrine for his dead wife; Nicole points this out, and he blows up on her. He apologizes, but then lashes out the very next time she tries to explain why his life is falling apart. Hawk sucked. He treated Nicole like crap and NEVER figured things out unless another character sat him down and explained. He was like a stupid kid.
Meanwhile, we have the unfortunate fact that Susan Mallery is a serial pregnancy-writer. It’s like if she’s run out of ideas, she throws in a surprise pregnancy. Out of the four female characters in this novel, all four are pregnant. None of these pregnancies are planned. All cause immediate tension and stupid fights. The freaking dog is pregnant, okay? There is no story-telling in Sweet Spot, because it’s just the characters running around acting immature, having unprotected sex, and then acting all surprised when they pee on the stick and it turns blue. What idiots.
This book is not well written. Sweet Spot infuriatingly bad, actually. I am officially parting ways with Susan Mallery. She is not the romance author for me. If you rely on unprotected sex to sell your “true love”, you are most certainly doing it wrong. Very wrong.
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What we have here is a failure to communicate. On every level. Mostly Hawk, our stupidly-named male lead, is our offender, but everyone else is guilty. Basically, everybody in Sweet Spot has the maturity level of a toddler (except maybe Raoul, the teenage side-character). I just could not with this characters. Especially Hawk. Somebody please go kill Hawk.
Okay, so. The book’s protagonist is Nicole, twin sister to Claire. Nicole raised her baby sister and took over the family bakery at a young age. She also is in the midst of divorcing her husband, who cheated on her with said baby sister. Enter Hawk, former NFL player who’s pushy, immature, and overconfident, but apparently sexy as all get out, so that excuses everything. His biggest problem is that he’s convinced he’s always right, and refuses to hear otherwise. He’s spoiled his daughter and set up a shrine for his dead wife; Nicole points this out, and he blows up on her. He apologizes, but then lashes out the very next time she tries to explain why his life is falling apart. Hawk sucked. He treated Nicole like crap and NEVER figured things out unless another character sat him down and explained. He was like a stupid kid.
Meanwhile, we have the unfortunate fact that Susan Mallery is a serial pregnancy-writer. It’s like if she’s run out of ideas, she throws in a surprise pregnancy. Out of the four female characters in this novel, all four are pregnant. None of these pregnancies are planned. All cause immediate tension and stupid fights. The freaking dog is pregnant, okay? There is no story-telling in Sweet Spot, because it’s just the characters running around acting immature, having unprotected sex, and then acting all surprised when they pee on the stick and it turns blue. What idiots.
This book is not well written. Sweet Spot infuriatingly bad, actually. I am officially parting ways with Susan Mallery. She is not the romance author for me. If you rely on unprotected sex to sell your “true love”, you are most certainly doing it wrong. Very wrong.
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May 5, 2017
Nicole Keyes really didn't want any more drama in her life. Enter Raoul, the teenage boy who attempts to steal five dozen donuts from the bakery. And along with him, enter Hawk, the studly, irresistibly charming football coach at the local high school who came to retrieve Raoul, his star quarterback. Against her better judgment, Nicole offers to have Raoul pay off the donuts he tried to steal by working in the bakery the next morning. To her surprise, the boy is a good worker and she offers him a job working for her.
As she gets closer to Raoul, she is forced to become closer to Hawk, despite her attempts to avoid the man, and much to her chagrin, it appears that Hawk will go to many lengths to get to her. Luckily for her, that makes him the perfect man to go along with her plan: She'll be his personal sex kitten but he has to be her pretend adoring boyfriend who she gets to flaunt to all of her friends and then dump whenever she so chooses. Throughout this "relationship," the two grow closer and they enjoy getting to know each other.
Then, one day, Nicole discovers that Raoul was no longer living in his foster home and was living in an abandoned building. Nicole offers to let the boy live with her. During this time, Nicole realizes that she enjoys having teenagers in the house again, even if it fans the flames of pain she experiences due to her younger sister, Jesse, leaving town pregnant and upset.
About a month or so into later, Brittany, Hawk's daughter, tells Nicole and Raoul that she's pregnant and makes them promise not to say anything to Hawk. A few days later, Hawk asks Nicole to be his real girlfriend, and the guilt of keeping the secret eats at her. But, about a week after Brittany drops the bomb on her boyfriend and Nicole, she tells Hawk, who is not only enraged at Brittany and Raoul, but also at Nicole for keeping the secret from him. Not many days later, while Nicole is over at Hawk's, Raoul and Brittany run away to get married. That plan is thrown off track, though, when it is discovered that Brittany was not actually pregnant, and the two teens return home.
Later on the day when they return, Hawk goes to Nicole and tells her that he loves her. During which time she tells him that she is pregnant; he leaves without saying anything. Raoul, who overheard the conversation, tells Brittany and the girl comes over and has a temper tantrum over the pregnancy.
Realizing that he did the wrong thing and needed to fix the situation, Hawk mistakenly comes to the conclusion that he should propose to Nicole, and he does so without even talking to her about the pregnancy and his reaction first. She rejects the proposal and Hawk is not only angry but embarrassed. Thankfully, he goes to Claire, Nicole's twin sister, for advice on how he should handle the situation. Through several meaningful gestures, Hawk shows Nicole how much he really loves her. So she goes to see him at the high school where he tells her that he's really excited about the baby, he loves her, and he wants to marry her. Finally, Nicole accepts and they live happily ever after.
I love Nicole and I see a lot of myself in her personality much of the time. That being said, however, she continued to drive me crazy with the way that she refused to actually listen to Jesse about the situation with Drew. Maybe it's because I've already read Jesse's book, but I just wanted to smack some sense into Nicole and tell her to listen to what Jesse (my favorite of the Keyes sisters) had to say. Not taking into account that situation, though, I really liked Nicole, and I loved the way she took in and cared for Raoul when he had no one else.
Hawk, oh Hawk. Adorable, charming, intelligent. Completely frustrating, blind to the reality of his situation with his daughter and his late wife. Hawk was quite the character, and while I did not like that he constantly blamed Nicole for things, I couldn't help but love him.
Raoul was utterly adorable and I love how protective he became of Nicole, even to the point of standing up to Hawk.
It was nice to see parts of Jesse's life that I had no prior knowledge of when I read her book. It was good to see how things went down with Matt and how she finally ended up in the comforting, protective shelter of Bill. Of course, it drove me crazy when Claire and Nicole refused to listen to her and that whole situation continually made me teary-eyed.
This was a wonderful book, I'm glad to have read it, and I know I will probably be rereading this wonderful, frustrating series multiple times in my life.
As she gets closer to Raoul, she is forced to become closer to Hawk, despite her attempts to avoid the man, and much to her chagrin, it appears that Hawk will go to many lengths to get to her. Luckily for her, that makes him the perfect man to go along with her plan: She'll be his personal sex kitten but he has to be her pretend adoring boyfriend who she gets to flaunt to all of her friends and then dump whenever she so chooses. Throughout this "relationship," the two grow closer and they enjoy getting to know each other.
Then, one day, Nicole discovers that Raoul was no longer living in his foster home and was living in an abandoned building. Nicole offers to let the boy live with her. During this time, Nicole realizes that she enjoys having teenagers in the house again, even if it fans the flames of pain she experiences due to her younger sister, Jesse, leaving town pregnant and upset.
About a month or so into later, Brittany, Hawk's daughter, tells Nicole and Raoul that she's pregnant and makes them promise not to say anything to Hawk. A few days later, Hawk asks Nicole to be his real girlfriend, and the guilt of keeping the secret eats at her. But, about a week after Brittany drops the bomb on her boyfriend and Nicole, she tells Hawk, who is not only enraged at Brittany and Raoul, but also at Nicole for keeping the secret from him. Not many days later, while Nicole is over at Hawk's, Raoul and Brittany run away to get married. That plan is thrown off track, though, when it is discovered that Brittany was not actually pregnant, and the two teens return home.
Later on the day when they return, Hawk goes to Nicole and tells her that he loves her. During which time she tells him that she is pregnant; he leaves without saying anything. Raoul, who overheard the conversation, tells Brittany and the girl comes over and has a temper tantrum over the pregnancy.
Realizing that he did the wrong thing and needed to fix the situation, Hawk mistakenly comes to the conclusion that he should propose to Nicole, and he does so without even talking to her about the pregnancy and his reaction first. She rejects the proposal and Hawk is not only angry but embarrassed. Thankfully, he goes to Claire, Nicole's twin sister, for advice on how he should handle the situation. Through several meaningful gestures, Hawk shows Nicole how much he really loves her. So she goes to see him at the high school where he tells her that he's really excited about the baby, he loves her, and he wants to marry her. Finally, Nicole accepts and they live happily ever after.
I love Nicole and I see a lot of myself in her personality much of the time. That being said, however, she continued to drive me crazy with the way that she refused to actually listen to Jesse about the situation with Drew. Maybe it's because I've already read Jesse's book, but I just wanted to smack some sense into Nicole and tell her to listen to what Jesse (my favorite of the Keyes sisters) had to say. Not taking into account that situation, though, I really liked Nicole, and I loved the way she took in and cared for Raoul when he had no one else.
Hawk, oh Hawk. Adorable, charming, intelligent. Completely frustrating, blind to the reality of his situation with his daughter and his late wife. Hawk was quite the character, and while I did not like that he constantly blamed Nicole for things, I couldn't help but love him.
Raoul was utterly adorable and I love how protective he became of Nicole, even to the point of standing up to Hawk.
It was nice to see parts of Jesse's life that I had no prior knowledge of when I read her book. It was good to see how things went down with Matt and how she finally ended up in the comforting, protective shelter of Bill. Of course, it drove me crazy when Claire and Nicole refused to listen to her and that whole situation continually made me teary-eyed.
This was a wonderful book, I'm glad to have read it, and I know I will probably be rereading this wonderful, frustrating series multiple times in my life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2015
Gerçekten güzel bir kitaptı. Severek çevirdim, sonraki sayfayı merak ederek ilerledim, bazen önden gidip okudum.
Kadın karakter: Güçlü, bağımsız, sert gibi görünen ama yumuşacık kalbi var, azıcık da çenesini tutamıyor.
Erkek karakter: İstediğinin peşinden giden, güçlü, arada sırada lafı tersten anlayan, biraz geçmişte kalmış, tatlı bir herif!
Yan karakterler de güçlü ve sevilesiydi.
Kadın karakter: Güçlü, bağımsız, sert gibi görünen ama yumuşacık kalbi var, azıcık da çenesini tutamıyor.
Erkek karakter: İstediğinin peşinden giden, güçlü, arada sırada lafı tersten anlayan, biraz geçmişte kalmış, tatlı bir herif!
Yan karakterler de güçlü ve sevilesiydi.
February 10, 2012
I should probably start off this review by stating that I am not usually drawn to contemporary romances that don't contain any suspense elements, so I am not really the intended audience for this sort of novel. That said, Sweet Spot failed miserably to meet even my lowered expectations. I had major problems with the writing, the plot, and especially the characters.
Susan Mallery's writing left a lot to be desired, at least in this book. While I didn't notice many grammatical or typographical errors, I just couldn't appreciate Mallery's uninspired style. Sweet Spot reads like the work of a novice author who hasn't found her own voice yet and employs every cliché she can think of to cover her literary shortcomings. The dialog and the descriptive passages all felt either too flat or too familiar, as if I had read them hundreds of times before in other novels.
I could forgive Mallery's lack of literary prowess, though, if she were a better storyteller. Unfortunately, the plot in this novel failed to interest me at all. There were too many side characters and too many unrelated things going on. Perhaps if I had read the first book of the series, some of the character interactions in Sweet Spot would have made more sense. Maybe. Unfortunately, the references to events that occurred in the previous book (Sweet Talk), and the set-up for the next book (Sweet Trouble), encroached on the story in this book.
My biggest problem with Sweet Spot, however, was the fact that the entire cast of characters seemed to be suffering from dissociative identity disorder. Nearly every character in the novel was inconsistent, and thoroughly unbelievable. The heroine, Nicole, was the only possible exception, but even Nicole's personality seemed to undergo occasional, inexplicable fluctuations.
Raoul, the teenage boy Nicole took under her wing, was a walking, talking contradiction. He was a homeless kid who grew up in the foster care system and who also happened to have a juvenile criminal record. At the very beginning of the book, he attempted to steal doughnuts from Nicole's bakery. Yet he was also the star quarterback of the local high school football team, he was dating the coach's cheerleader daughter, and he possessed a nobility and wisdom beyond his years. So which was he, the juvenile delinquent from the wrong side of the tracks, or the jock with a heart of gold? Mallery apparently intended to convince the reader that he could be both, but the two halves of his character didn't mesh in a believable way.
The hero, Hawk (really) was the worst part of the novel. The author's descriptions of him were unappealing, and his dialog was even worse. Either he was smugly talking down to Nicole as if he considered himself God's gift to womankind (which he clearly did), or he was whining at her like a petulant child for things that were in no way her fault. Why did she put up with him? Why would any woman be drawn to such an immature, egotistical idiot?
Obviously this is not a book I would recommend to anyone. The only thing I liked about it were Nicole's occasional bursts of snarky wit, but they were too few and far between to hold my interest in the book. It was a relief just to get it over with.
Susan Mallery's writing left a lot to be desired, at least in this book. While I didn't notice many grammatical or typographical errors, I just couldn't appreciate Mallery's uninspired style. Sweet Spot reads like the work of a novice author who hasn't found her own voice yet and employs every cliché she can think of to cover her literary shortcomings. The dialog and the descriptive passages all felt either too flat or too familiar, as if I had read them hundreds of times before in other novels.
I could forgive Mallery's lack of literary prowess, though, if she were a better storyteller. Unfortunately, the plot in this novel failed to interest me at all. There were too many side characters and too many unrelated things going on. Perhaps if I had read the first book of the series, some of the character interactions in Sweet Spot would have made more sense. Maybe. Unfortunately, the references to events that occurred in the previous book (Sweet Talk), and the set-up for the next book (Sweet Trouble), encroached on the story in this book.
My biggest problem with Sweet Spot, however, was the fact that the entire cast of characters seemed to be suffering from dissociative identity disorder. Nearly every character in the novel was inconsistent, and thoroughly unbelievable. The heroine, Nicole, was the only possible exception, but even Nicole's personality seemed to undergo occasional, inexplicable fluctuations.
Raoul, the teenage boy Nicole took under her wing, was a walking, talking contradiction. He was a homeless kid who grew up in the foster care system and who also happened to have a juvenile criminal record. At the very beginning of the book, he attempted to steal doughnuts from Nicole's bakery. Yet he was also the star quarterback of the local high school football team, he was dating the coach's cheerleader daughter, and he possessed a nobility and wisdom beyond his years. So which was he, the juvenile delinquent from the wrong side of the tracks, or the jock with a heart of gold? Mallery apparently intended to convince the reader that he could be both, but the two halves of his character didn't mesh in a believable way.
The hero, Hawk (really) was the worst part of the novel. The author's descriptions of him were unappealing, and his dialog was even worse. Either he was smugly talking down to Nicole as if he considered himself God's gift to womankind (which he clearly did), or he was whining at her like a petulant child for things that were in no way her fault. Why did she put up with him? Why would any woman be drawn to such an immature, egotistical idiot?
Obviously this is not a book I would recommend to anyone. The only thing I liked about it were Nicole's occasional bursts of snarky wit, but they were too few and far between to hold my interest in the book. It was a relief just to get it over with.
April 2, 2018
April 2018 Review
This was an amazing read. I thought the story was sweet. I really loved that the series is about sisters. Nicole is the responsible sister. I thought her character was written beautifully. She reconciled with her twin, running a bakery, and taking care of her nephew, she has to deal with being sick. I thought her character was strong. She always does her best for her family and it really made me appreciate her character even more. She falls in love Hawk. He is a former NFL player now football coach. He is sexy, but he is also polite. He really cares about the team he coaches for and I thought he was boyfriend/husband material. I thought it was adorable when he bugged Nicole in the bakery. Their romance was sweet. I thought that they had great chemistry. I can’t wait to relive the moments of the third book. Overall, a fantastic read.
First Read: October 2014-November 2014
This was an amazing read. I thought the story was sweet. I really loved that the series is about sisters. Nicole is the responsible sister. I thought her character was written beautifully. She reconciled with her twin, running a bakery, and taking care of her nephew, she has to deal with being sick. I thought her character was strong. She always does her best for her family and it really made me appreciate her character even more. She falls in love Hawk. He is a former NFL player now football coach. He is sexy, but he is also polite. He really cares about the team he coaches for and I thought he was boyfriend/husband material. I thought it was adorable when he bugged Nicole in the bakery. Their romance was sweet. I thought that they had great chemistry. I can’t wait to relive the moments of the third book. Overall, a fantastic read.
First Read: October 2014-November 2014
October 19, 2008
This is the second book in the "Bakery Sisters" series. The first book is about the twin who left home to be a piano prodigy. This is about the twin who stayed behind. It begins after the close of the first book.
The heroine has always been the responsible one. She's been running the family bakery, she helped raise her younger sister, and even though she's finally reconciling with her long-absent twin, her life is falling apart around her. Her marriage is over. Her younger sister has gone so far from the straight and narrow, the heroine doesn't want to even see her. And then this football coach, who just happens to be a retired NFL player, turns up in the bakery to bug her. The romance is as sweet as the bakery goodies, but it's grounded in real emotions and situations. Heartbreak and teenaged love and -- well, good stuff. Very much worth reading. I liked it a lot.
The heroine has always been the responsible one. She's been running the family bakery, she helped raise her younger sister, and even though she's finally reconciling with her long-absent twin, her life is falling apart around her. Her marriage is over. Her younger sister has gone so far from the straight and narrow, the heroine doesn't want to even see her. And then this football coach, who just happens to be a retired NFL player, turns up in the bakery to bug her. The romance is as sweet as the bakery goodies, but it's grounded in real emotions and situations. Heartbreak and teenaged love and -- well, good stuff. Very much worth reading. I liked it a lot.
April 11, 2011
3.5 Stars
I really liked this book, I already liked Nicole from the previous book and I love her sarcastic sense of humour, the guy, Hawk, in this book was also a lot better, he seemed to have more character and I could feel the relationship between them more.
The only character that annoyed me was Brittany, Hawks's daughter, she was selfish spoiled and really got on my nerves! How did she ever get a boyfriend as good as Raoul?!
Also is it a theme in Susan Mallery books that everyone gets pregnant at some point?!
I really liked this book, I already liked Nicole from the previous book and I love her sarcastic sense of humour, the guy, Hawk, in this book was also a lot better, he seemed to have more character and I could feel the relationship between them more.
The only character that annoyed me was Brittany, Hawks's daughter, she was selfish spoiled and really got on my nerves! How did she ever get a boyfriend as good as Raoul?!
Also is it a theme in Susan Mallery books that everyone gets pregnant at some point?!
November 16, 2013
the only thing I don't like about these two books (sweet talk and this one) is that the main characters have to get pregnant before everything can be OK. I'm hoping Jesse's story, where the baby isn't the big ending, will be different.
February 9, 2018
So my guilty pleasure is books like this. I don’t read them all the time but when I’m down or need a light read I pick up one and it always does the trick.
Unbeknown to me at the time this was a second book in a trilogy but it didn’t matter I think anything you needed to know was laid out for you in the story so you didn’t miss out on anything (saying that I have just borrowed book one from the library) this is a romance story about a feisty woman called Nicole, she has had a string of bad luck and in walks Hawk the local football coach and we’ll need I say more.
Now although this story wasn’t anything new or original to what I have read before and yes it was sometime silly with a certain sub plot it was the characters that really pulled this story for me, although I wasn’t a fan of Hawk I found Nicole so relatable and I adored Raoul..he was 100% my favourite character and so grown up for his age.
I really enjoyed this book and it gave me some life relief and made me happy at a time when I really needed it..off to read book one....see you all on the other side ✌️
Unbeknown to me at the time this was a second book in a trilogy but it didn’t matter I think anything you needed to know was laid out for you in the story so you didn’t miss out on anything (saying that I have just borrowed book one from the library) this is a romance story about a feisty woman called Nicole, she has had a string of bad luck and in walks Hawk the local football coach and we’ll need I say more.
Now although this story wasn’t anything new or original to what I have read before and yes it was sometime silly with a certain sub plot it was the characters that really pulled this story for me, although I wasn’t a fan of Hawk I found Nicole so relatable and I adored Raoul..he was 100% my favourite character and so grown up for his age.
I really enjoyed this book and it gave me some life relief and made me happy at a time when I really needed it..off to read book one....see you all on the other side ✌️
April 21, 2018
Şu serinin son kitabını 2 senedir çıkaramayan Pegasus’a öfkeliyim , hayır şimdi merak ediyorum ama elimden birşey gelmiyor 🤷🏼♀️😡😤
December 5, 2018
Nedense birinci hikaye beni daha çok etkilemişti ama bu da çok güzeldi. Şimdi küçük kız kardeşin hikayesi kaldı. Onuda okuyacaktım ama kitap yayınlanmamış ki.
February 22, 2017
•••
#kitapyorumu | Tatlı Aşk & Tatlı Kaçamak
Birine yorum giremeden baktım duramıyorum dedim hadi diğerini de bitireyim bari.
#kitapyorumu | Tatlı Aşk & Tatlı Kaçamak
Birine yorum giremeden baktım duramıyorum dedim hadi diğerini de bitireyim bari.
April 23, 2012
Sweet definitely describes this story. I did begin with a dislike of the main character - Nicole seemed harsh, rude and unforgiving. It reminded me not to judge people when you first meet them, as there is so much beneath the surface. As her story unfolded I grew to like Nicole, understanding why she reacted to things the way she did. Mallery was able to unravel her character, describing some background without interfering with the storyline, in a beautiful way.
I also began with a dislike of Hawk - typical athletic "I am great" male. While I did soften my opinion, it was not to the degree of Nicole. I still have my doubts about him and his spoiled little daughter! Again however, character development was great!
Raoul - I am a big fan of him!
I am interested to hear more about the the little sister - Jesse seems an interesting character to me. I was a little put off by the fact that everyone - including the dog - became pregnant though! Really? Isn't one unexpected (unwanted??) pregnancy enough. It did seem to glamourize pregnancies outside of committed relationships (sore spot for me a mother of two girls!)
I also began with a dislike of Hawk - typical athletic "I am great" male. While I did soften my opinion, it was not to the degree of Nicole. I still have my doubts about him and his spoiled little daughter! Again however, character development was great!
Raoul - I am a big fan of him!
I am interested to hear more about the the little sister - Jesse seems an interesting character to me. I was a little put off by the fact that everyone - including the dog - became pregnant though! Really? Isn't one unexpected (unwanted??) pregnancy enough. It did seem to glamourize pregnancies outside of committed relationships (sore spot for me a mother of two girls!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2019
The story of Nicole, a woman used to responsibilities, who is still recovering from a recent divorce, and Hawk, a former pro football player who now coaches the high school team.
Tired of the concern of her friends and family, Nicole decides to make a proposition to Hawk to agree to the fling he seems to want in exchange for pretending to be her boyfriend, no strings attached.
As expected, feelings become involved, and problems must be solved involving teenagers, pregnancies and , before the two can reach their happily ever after.
An enjoyable story with flawed characters who are better when they're together, and realistic situations that are not all sunshine and rainbows.
Next comes the youngest Keyes sister, Jesse's story in Sweet Trouble.
Previous book reviews:
✦ Sweet Talk (Bakery Sisters #1)
Tired of the concern of her friends and family, Nicole decides to make a proposition to Hawk to agree to the fling he seems to want in exchange for pretending to be her boyfriend, no strings attached.
As expected, feelings become involved, and problems must be solved involving teenagers, pregnancies and , before the two can reach their happily ever after.
An enjoyable story with flawed characters who are better when they're together, and realistic situations that are not all sunshine and rainbows.
Next comes the youngest Keyes sister, Jesse's story in Sweet Trouble.
Previous book reviews:
✦ Sweet Talk (Bakery Sisters #1)
May 8, 2014
This is the second book in the Bakery sisters. I have the bundle which gives all three books for $10. It's a great deal. But I like leaving reviews on individual books. I am giving this three stars because Nicole was kind of hard to like in the first book and the first part if this one. She played the woo is me role a little to much. I can't really like her all to much. She was at times just plain mean. I understand that she was hurt I just think it was played up to much by the author. But I will say by the end of this book you can start seeing the change. Sadly it feels like we lost Wyatt who was her best friend in the first book. It seems like he just was cut out didn't really fit their relationship portrayed in the first one. Hawk and Raoul were great characters. They were what hero's should be like. Hawk at times made you want to shake him. It was a great story about moving on and growing. If you can get passed the character flaws it's a genuinely good book. Looking forward to ready Jesse's story.
June 20, 2016
Ilk kitaptan daha cok sevdim sanırım. Nicole ilkinde soguk gibi gelmisti ama burada ayaklari yere basan ve kendinden ödün vermeyen bir karakterdi. Okuması keyifliydi. Hala o pisss kız kardeşinden nefret ediyorum ama sanırım 3.kitabi da alıp okuyacağım çıktığında.
Hawk güçlü, karizmatik, havalı eski bir NFL oyuncusu şimdilerin genç babası ve koçu adam baştan aşağı karizmaayımm diyor :D ama kızı ve rahmetli karısı konusunda az biraz dik kafalı ve ben en iyisiyim düşüncesinde. Zaten sonunda da görüyor babayı hahaha :D oldukça keyfi aldım okurken yan karakter bir velet de vardı (18 lik velet de nasıl oluyorsa :P ) çok efendi çok çok çokkkk geleceğin karizması bir oğlandı. Ama dediğim gibi küçük kız kardeşlerine hala ısınamadım, yaptıklarının mazereti yok benim gözümde, yine de merak etmeden de duramıyorum, bebesiyle neler yaşayacak falan :D Öyle işte güzeldi seviyorum bu seriyi, ahım şahım değil ama okutuyor :D
Hawk güçlü, karizmatik, havalı eski bir NFL oyuncusu şimdilerin genç babası ve koçu adam baştan aşağı karizmaayımm diyor :D ama kızı ve rahmetli karısı konusunda az biraz dik kafalı ve ben en iyisiyim düşüncesinde. Zaten sonunda da görüyor babayı hahaha :D oldukça keyfi aldım okurken yan karakter bir velet de vardı (18 lik velet de nasıl oluyorsa :P ) çok efendi çok çok çokkkk geleceğin karizması bir oğlandı. Ama dediğim gibi küçük kız kardeşlerine hala ısınamadım, yaptıklarının mazereti yok benim gözümde, yine de merak etmeden de duramıyorum, bebesiyle neler yaşayacak falan :D Öyle işte güzeldi seviyorum bu seriyi, ahım şahım değil ama okutuyor :D
February 12, 2011
If I liked Claire's story, I absolutely loved Nicole's. She is my favourite sister and I have a feeling that this has to do with the fact that I feel like my personality is a bit like hers. She tries to look and sound cold but deep down inside she is an absolute sweetheart. Stubborn, she tries to fight her own feelings, trying to keep her heart from commanding her brain. But soon it all becomes too much and she ends up giving up and going with the flow. But like every flow, there are times when it slows down and others when it seems to be moving way too fast. Having to deal with all these ups and downs, Nicole has the opportunity to show off her personality and re-live some of her memories. All I can say is that it was a pleasure to get to know Nicole. Lovely light book.
December 18, 2011
This story was really really good! This first sister was a little too Scrooge for me in the first book but she gained points towards the end... this second books was about her and I loved it so much!
There was one of the most wonderful teenager boy I ever met! Amazing!
There was one of the most wonderful teenager boy I ever met! Amazing!
December 31, 2014
Two-haiku review:
She runs bakery
He's football coach with spoiled teen
He wants sex, not love
Very strong woman
He's a bit of an a-hole
But realistic
Read in "Bakery Sisters Bundle" kindle book borrowed from library.
She runs bakery
He's football coach with spoiled teen
He wants sex, not love
Very strong woman
He's a bit of an a-hole
But realistic
Read in "Bakery Sisters Bundle" kindle book borrowed from library.
June 5, 2016
Muito, muito, muito bom... Admito que quando conheci esta irmã no primeiro livro me irritou mas adorei-a aqui... Adorei uma durona com coração de manteiga...
Agora é esperar pelo 3º livro e esperar que não demore um ano! :(
Agora é esperar pelo 3º livro e esperar que não demore um ano! :(
April 17, 2010
Like the story. Like the interactions. But I don't think anyone can sneeze without ending up pregnant.
May 31, 2022
Adı gibi, aslında tatlı bir aşk hikayesi uzaktan bakınca. Ama epey bir mesafe gerekiyor bunun için. :')
Ailesinden miras kalan pastaneyle ilgilenen Nicole, üç kardeşin ikincisi. Boşanma sürecinde, eski eşiyle ve kendisinden altı yaş küçük olmasına rağmen kendisinin yetiştirdiği kardeşiyle sorunlar yaşıyor. Bu sırada koruyucu aile yanında kalması gerekirken evsiz kalan bir lise öğrencisine evini açıyor, öğrencinin koçu ile yakınlaşıyor. Bu mesafeden hâlâ tatlı bir hikaye.
Ama insan sormak istiyor, yahu bu kadar problem çözen, soğukkanlı, çok iyi niyetli, sabırlı ve mantıklı kadın nasıl oldu da yılllaaaaaaarca ikizinden nefret edip araba kazasında ölen annesi için kardeşine annemi sen öldürdün dedi? Küçük kardeşiyle sorunlar nasıl bu kadar uç noktaya geldi? Kardeşi de asla kendini ifade edemiyor, söylediği tek şey beni dinlemiyorsunuz, kimse bana inanmıyor. İki kitaptır kendini kimseye ifade etmedi. Ama insanlar dinlemiyor evet. Kendi kitabına bu süreç saklanmış muhtemelen ama bu da karakteri harcıyor. İyi kurulmuş sevilesi biri değil ağlak ve kaçıp duran biri yalnızca. Yakışıklı koç Hawk ayrıca çok ateşli çok iyi bir adam. Bir kusuru egosu güya, öyle diyor yani kurgu. Burada da hatasını çok geç gören, iletişim problemli, sürekli hatalı davranış paternini tekrar eden bir karakter var. Okurken herkesin aynı sorunları farklı cümlelerle defalarca yaşaması kitabın tadını ve pembe bulutlarını kaçırttı benim için. Bir de şu var, karakterler kendi aralarında anlaşıyorlar ve puf kitap bitti. Kitap genelinde karakterleri daha derinleştirip daha iyi tanıyabilirdik, sonunda en az bir bölüm daha olup yan karakterlerin nerelere gideceği, ana karakterlerin hayatının yeni düzeni gösterilebilirdi ve daha kısa bile yazılabilirdi roman, tekrarlayan olay örüntüleri yerine. Keyifli kolay akan bir şey okuyayım derken darlandım durdum, hoş değil. :/
Ailesinden miras kalan pastaneyle ilgilenen Nicole, üç kardeşin ikincisi. Boşanma sürecinde, eski eşiyle ve kendisinden altı yaş küçük olmasına rağmen kendisinin yetiştirdiği kardeşiyle sorunlar yaşıyor. Bu sırada koruyucu aile yanında kalması gerekirken evsiz kalan bir lise öğrencisine evini açıyor, öğrencinin koçu ile yakınlaşıyor. Bu mesafeden hâlâ tatlı bir hikaye.
Ama insan sormak istiyor, yahu bu kadar problem çözen, soğukkanlı, çok iyi niyetli, sabırlı ve mantıklı kadın nasıl oldu da yılllaaaaaaarca ikizinden nefret edip araba kazasında ölen annesi için kardeşine annemi sen öldürdün dedi? Küçük kardeşiyle sorunlar nasıl bu kadar uç noktaya geldi? Kardeşi de asla kendini ifade edemiyor, söylediği tek şey beni dinlemiyorsunuz, kimse bana inanmıyor. İki kitaptır kendini kimseye ifade etmedi. Ama insanlar dinlemiyor evet. Kendi kitabına bu süreç saklanmış muhtemelen ama bu da karakteri harcıyor. İyi kurulmuş sevilesi biri değil ağlak ve kaçıp duran biri yalnızca. Yakışıklı koç Hawk ayrıca çok ateşli çok iyi bir adam. Bir kusuru egosu güya, öyle diyor yani kurgu. Burada da hatasını çok geç gören, iletişim problemli, sürekli hatalı davranış paternini tekrar eden bir karakter var. Okurken herkesin aynı sorunları farklı cümlelerle defalarca yaşaması kitabın tadını ve pembe bulutlarını kaçırttı benim için. Bir de şu var, karakterler kendi aralarında anlaşıyorlar ve puf kitap bitti. Kitap genelinde karakterleri daha derinleştirip daha iyi tanıyabilirdik, sonunda en az bir bölüm daha olup yan karakterlerin nerelere gideceği, ana karakterlerin hayatının yeni düzeni gösterilebilirdi ve daha kısa bile yazılabilirdi roman, tekrarlayan olay örüntüleri yerine. Keyifli kolay akan bir şey okuyayım derken darlandım durdum, hoş değil. :/
April 14, 2019
Tatlı Kaçamak (Bakery Sisters Serisi 2)
Susan Mallery
Bu kitabı okumuştum ama yinede tekrar okudum farklı hiç bir şey hissetmedim. Nicola ve Hawk
Farklı bir hikaye diye heyecanla başladım ama malesef
Bilindik tanıdık ne ararsanız var benim ruhuma dokunan tek sayfası bile yok belki başlarda atışmaları bir nebze
Konuyu anlatmaya gerek yok kitap açılminda yazan şey yeterli
Beğenmedim özelikle sonda ki duygusuz ^bana öylede gelmiş olabilir^ halleri😧😩
Ama haftayı güzel kapattım uzun zamandır kitap okuyamıyordum çok iyi geldi
Susan Mallery
Bu kitabı okumuştum ama yinede tekrar okudum farklı hiç bir şey hissetmedim. Nicola ve Hawk
Farklı bir hikaye diye heyecanla başladım ama malesef
Bilindik tanıdık ne ararsanız var benim ruhuma dokunan tek sayfası bile yok belki başlarda atışmaları bir nebze
Konuyu anlatmaya gerek yok kitap açılminda yazan şey yeterli
Beğenmedim özelikle sonda ki duygusuz ^bana öylede gelmiş olabilir^ halleri😧😩
Ama haftayı güzel kapattım uzun zamandır kitap okuyamıyordum çok iyi geldi
August 26, 2017
Love love love looooooved this. HAWK IS BAE. Nicole was annoying in the first book, but she was AWESOME, here. I both feel bad for and hate Jesse.
Really proud of myself for figuring out that Raoul is the same Raoul from Finding Perfect (Fool's Gold #3). It's a good thing too or I would've really been pissed at Mallery's lack of imagination, LOL! Baby Raoul is the BEST. I love how protective he is of Nicole - so loyal and adorable!
Really proud of myself for figuring out that Raoul is the same Raoul from Finding Perfect (Fool's Gold #3). It's a good thing too or I would've really been pissed at Mallery's lack of imagination, LOL! Baby Raoul is the BEST. I love how protective he is of Nicole - so loyal and adorable!
April 16, 2019
Attraction, Laughter, Love
This is simply a story you cannot put down. The characters are unique yet you root for them even with their foibles. Plot complications keep you not only interested, you just want to keep reading until the couple unite in love and acceptance. Great read!
This is simply a story you cannot put down. The characters are unique yet you root for them even with their foibles. Plot complications keep you not only interested, you just want to keep reading until the couple unite in love and acceptance. Great read!
September 2, 2017
Good distraction but too many unplanned pregnancies for my liking:)
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